What do you do while waiting in line?

This prompt is from the April archive, but I liked it, and wanted to write about it. Most people have smart-phones (iPhones in particular) and can navigate the web, play games, and even use Twitter or Facebook, or some other social media site while in line. This seems like a reasonable thing to do while in line for say, an ATM or at the grocery store. For me, and other people without these abilities, I usually think about what else I have to get done that day. I sometimes people watch-this is fun to do while waiting for that self-check-out at the grocery store. Sometimes I think that they have enough employees to open another register and that I should not have to stand in line. If it’s a line to go through security at the airport, I am already taking my shoes off and getting ready to get everything in to those bins and trying to get through the fastest line. I might peek at someone’s shoes or little bag of shampoo samples or laptop, but mostly I consume myself in what I am doing and making sure I keep track of my stuff, especially my ID and boarding pass. I think the things I do while in line are pretty normal (but you can give to that fact by commenting). I think it depends on the length of the line and how long it’s taken to get through the line. The more these factors increase, the more friendly you become to the people you are behind or who are behind you. Have you ever had to watch someone’s stuff and their place in line? What if it becomes their/your turn before they return? How about getting to the end of the line just to find out that you don’t want anything you were standing in line for or that you can’t get what you were in line for because it’s sold out? That’s the worst. I guess I am always thinking about that while in line. Do you remember hearing (or being a part of) conversations of the use or “in line” versus “on line”? I think this only happened when the Internet became more popular. Of course, now you can be online while in line. And now we’ve come full circle.

I remember when I was younger, and waiting in line, I would play hand games (like Miss Mary Mack) or I would think of things I could do in 10 minutes or in 5 minutes. I remember my dad always looking for the fastest line. Always in a hurry to get to the front of the line.

What’s the worst/longest line you’ve been in? Was it the typical DMV line that never seems to move? How about those mazes of rope to go through while in line? I remember winding through those at the airport, waiting to check-in and check our bags. I feel like those lines have gotten smaller because of online check-ins and boarding passes on phones and things like that. More convenience this way? What if you can’t get the page to load? Fewer lines; but more worry about getting your boarding pass. What other technology is there that reduced lines? I think a lot of things that you can do on your computer and therefore people do not go to places and stand in line anymore. I guess this post is going nowhere? Much like the line you are in reading this?! :)